Since HPV vaccines were introduced almost a decade ago, there has been a fear that vaccinating young girls against sexually transmitted infections will give them license to have sex and increase promiscuity. A new study suggests that the opposite may in fact be true—girls who have been vaccinated are less likely to engage in risky sexual behavior than those who have not.

Most legislators—including lawmakers in California, Maine, and Minnesota—are attempting to close loopholes and make it more difficult for people to get around inoculation requirements. Some, however, are actually trying to make it easier for parents to say “no” to vaccines.

Despite some facile language about “choice” from anti-vaxxers and individual beliefs held among some of them, the reality is that the anti-vaccination movement has way more in common with those trying to restrict abortion access.

There are not two equal sides here. There are not a number of compelling arguments that should be carefully considered. There is not room for debate. There is, in fact, a right answer to whether people should vaccinate their children, and that answer is yes. Public officials should understand that.

A study this week adds to the large body of research that shows teens who have received the HPV vaccine are no more likely to engage in sexual activity or suffer consequences such as unintended pregnancy or STIs than their un-vaccinated peers.

A new study finds that cervical cancer rates and HPV vaccination rates tend to move up and down together, suggesting once again that if more young women get vaccinated there will be fewer cases of cervical cancer.

Minority caucuses in the U.S. House of Representatives introduced a bill on Wednesday, the 49th anniversary of the enactment of the Medicare and Medicaid programs, aiming to improve health outcomes for communities of color.

This week, LA County is reviving an at-home STI testing service, a new study shows that male circumcision can reduce rates of HIV among women as well as men, and an Australian company gets approval to produce a microbicide condom.

An Indiana grandmother is asking lawmakers to criminalize the transmission of STDs from a child molester to his or her victim, while New York’s mayor has declined to comment on whether he’ll support the continued enforcement of regulations to discourage a circumcision ritual that’s been known to spread herpes to infants.